Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century, Part I

Edmond Paston

TO JOHN PASTON I 1447, 07, 05

tradatur Johanni Pastremoveon of þe Inner In in the Temple att London.

Ryth worschipfull brothir, I recomaund me to yow, &c. I preye write to myn modre of your owne hed as for to consell her howh þat sche kepe her preuye and tell no body ryth nowth of her counsell, for sche woll tell persones many of her counsell this day and to-morwe sche woll sey be Goddis faste þat the same men ben false. I haue seen parte of þe euydence and þe maner hathe be purchasid be parcell and certeyn feffementis mad of the auowson and certeyn pecis of lond enterlessant þe maner, and I wote well ye haue on collaterall rellesse wyth a warente of on of þe wyffys of Hauteyn of all þe holl maner. Steward, þe chiffe constable, told me he was enpanellyd vp-on þe assise be-twex yow and Frauncesse. He axyd me counsell what he myth do þer-jnne, for he told me it was take in Ser Thomas Tudham name. He wold fayne be chalengyd. I concellyd him swere the trowthe of the issue þat he schuld be swore to, and þanne he nedyd neuer to drede hym of noon atteynte. I yaue him this counsell and noon othir. He enqueryd me of the rewle of myn master Danyell and myn lord of Suffulke, and askyd wheche I thowte schuld rewle in þis schere, and I seyd bothe, as I trowh,

and he þat suruyuyth to hold be þe uertue of þe suruyuyr, and he to thanke his frendes and to aquite his enmyys. So I fele by him he wold forsake his master and gette him a newh yf he wyste he schuld rewle. And so wene I meche of all þe contré is so disposyd. þe Holy Trenyté kepe yow. Wrete at Norwiche on þe Wednysday after Seynt Peter, in hast. Your brothremoveer E. Paston

NUNCUPATIVE WILL: DRAFT 1449, 03, 21

Omnibus Christi fidelibus ad quos presens scriptum peruenerit nos, Willelmus May, magister Noui Templi London', Johannes Bakton, gentilman, Thomas Parker, ciuis et sissor London', et Johannes Osbern, salutem in Domino sempiternam. Sciatis quod xxj die Marcij Anno Domini mlccccxlviij Edmundus Paston de comitatu Norff', armiger, in bona memoria ac sana mente existens, languens in extremis, in nostra presencia condidit et declarauit testamentum suum nuncupatiuum in hunc modum. In primis, legauit animam suam Deo Omnipotenti, Beate Marie Virgini, et omnibus sanctis, corpusque suum ad sepeliendum in ecclesia Templi predicti siue in ecclesia Fratrum Carmelitarum London'. Item, dictus Edmundus, pro eo quod noluit circa bona siue negocia temporalia mentem siue animam suam affligere seu ocupare, set ad eternam felicitatem se preparare, dedit, legauit, ac comisit omnia bona et catalla sua predilecto fratri suo Johanni Paston, ex magna confidencia in ipso habita vt ea disponeret pro bono anime sue pro vt melius videret Deo placere ac anime sue prodesse. Et dictum Johannem Paston ordinauit et constituit executorem suum. In cuius rei testimonium presentibus sigilla nostra apposuimus.